She
Must Be Crazy, She Actually Likes Her Job
By
Liz Folger
An
Excerpt From Her Book,
"The
Stay-at-Home Mom's Guide To Making Money From Home"
(Prima
Publishing 2000)
The
thought that you actually like your job can make others shake
their heads and tell you right to your face that you're
a complete wacko (they're just jealous). But what's
really crazy is that many of us don't put the two together
- our special interest and how to make money at it.
Maybe
you graduated from high school and went to college because that's
what everyone else was doing. You received your degree
in whatever and worked wherever, not really liking
it but feeling stuck here. For some women, the only
time they found out what it was they liked to do was when they
decided to stay home and raise their children. What
makes you tick has always been a part of you. You may
have forgotten it exists, but it's there inside of you waiting
to be discovered once more.
No
Skills? Think Again
You
may be saying to yourself, "This home business idea sounds
great, but I don't have any skills." Everyone
has skills. If you're a mom, you have skills, believe
me.
Sometime,
as mothers, we tend to forget that once upon a time we had another
life and we did things we enjoyed. Don't let having kids
stop you from having a life. Find an area of interest
and reserve a few hours a week for yourself. If it
would help, start to attend classes at your local adult-learning
school or college. Find a mentor or start apprenticing with
someone. Maybe you feel the lack of education would hinder
you. Well, if you have your own business, you're the
boss. Nobody can tell you that they're not going to
hire you because you don't have a degree
You
may have been doing something all your life that you could turn
into a business. Teachers become tutors, secretaries
become desktop publishers and word processors, stay-at-home
moms become bookkeepers, and nurses become writers
for health publications. The possibilities are unlimited. However,
don't get hung up on doing something because you have been
doing it a long time. Do it only if it's something
you really want to do.
Service
Businesses
When
you're thinking about the business you would like to start, keep
in mind that service-oriented businesses are the simplest
to start. More than half of the businesses that are
run by women are service businesses, such as word processing,
accounting, bookkeeping, and calligraphy. Why? Because there
is little or no inventory, which means less money that you have
to pay out of your pocket to get your venture started.
You will also find that people who do not have the
time or knowledge to do a particular task themselves
will pay someone else to do it for them. Which means you. Count
on it: If you love it and you're good at it, there will
be a demand for your business.
Computer
Jobs
Please
remember this: A computer isn't going to magically make a business
for you. Don't discourage yourself by thinking that because
of the booming computer industry, the only way you
can possibly make money in your home is by using a
computer. If you enjoy working with a computer, then you may be
an ideal candidate for starting a business as a word processor
or newsletter publisher. If you can type a zillion
words a minute but hate it, then don't do it. Only
start a computer-oriented business because you love it. A
computer is great for keeping in touch with other work-at-home
moms (WAHMs) and keeping track of tax records, but
it doesn't have to be the focus of your business.
Make
A List
I've
heard from many a mom, and have experienced myself, the frustrations
of not knowing what business to start. You need to
set a goal you can dream about and eventually reach.
Right now, get a piece of paper, a pen, and a timing
device. Give yourself five minutes and start writing down home
business ideas that interest you. I know you have thought
of them. Don't let that pen leave the paper; just start
brainstorming and see what appears.
Have
Fun
Have
you found a few ideas that really sound like a lot of fun? Fun
is the key word here, because if it sounds like torture
you probably won't stay in the business long. Start
researching each idea that interests you. Is there already
a business similar to your idea, and if so, how is it doing? If
there are no such businesses, why not? Have you found a
gold mine of an idea, or have other people tried that
business and failed? If so, why? Was there no market,
or was the owner just not cut out to do that sort of business?
It may feel like I'm interrogating you, but in the end, if you
take the time to answer all these questions, your business
will shine that much brighter.
Don't
become depressed if ideas aren't coming fast and furious. It may
take a period of soul searching and research to come
up with the perfect home business for you. A great
book for helping you figure out what it is you enjoy
doing is called, "The Artist Way' (Tarcher/Putnam, 1992)
By Julie Cameron and Mark Bryan. Just keep reading
all you can on self-employment and talk to other home
business owners. This may take some time, so be patient and
enjoy your search.
Liz
Folger is Work-at-Home Mom Expert and author of, "The Stay-at-Home
Mom's Guide To Making Money From Home". Her book
is available at your favorite bookstore like amazon.com,
to order click
here: or call,
800-632-8676. Liz has also created a resource site for work-at-home
moms at: http://www.bizymoms.com. When you visit don't
forget to sign-up for the free e-newsletters that includes
work-at-home resources, success stories and job opportunities.
